Chair



Oct. 3, 1933. LARSEN 1,928,939

CHAIR Filed Feb. 6. 1950 fnxfentzr J 11:? [0162):

Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES CHAIR Lewis Larsen, Menominee, Mich., assignor to Heywood-Wakefield Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 6, 1930. Serial No. 426,226

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in chairs and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and efilcient chair wherein the combined seat and back rest is pivotally connected at the front end to a base for a tetering action which is augmented by resilient means spaced rearwardly from said front end.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair of this kind which promotes the ease and comfort of the occupant and which includes arm rests coacting with the seat and back rest to brace the same as a unitary construction.

These objects of the invention together with others as well as the many advantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying my invention as viewed from the rear and right hand side thereof.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the chair as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view through a hinge joint forming a part of the improved chair as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views each on 30 an enlarged scale as taken on the lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 1, illustrating the manner of securing the seat and back rest fabric to the combined seat and back rest frame.

Primarily my improved chair comprises a substantially U-shaped base to the front open end of which is pivotally connected a second U-shaped frame bent to provide a combined seat and back rest. Spring means connect the rear part of the seat with a part of the base to augment the tetering action of the seat when occupied and associated with the combined seat and back rest frame is another frame so arranged as to provide arm rests for the chair and to hold and brace said combined seat and back rest frame. While the frames mentioned may be made of bent wood or bent metallic tubing I prefer to make them of thin, light weight metallic tubing reinforced inside with a wooden dowel like filler.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, 1 indicates as a whole the base for the chair, 2 indicates as a whole the combined seat and back rest frame and 3 indicates as a whole the arm rest frame for the chair.

The base is substantially U-shaped and comprises side members 4-4 connected together at the rear by a cross bar 5, the front end 6 of each side member being turned upwardly upon a curve of about 90 in length. Said frame is made up of a thin metallic tubing 4' with a wooden dowel like filler 4 The combined seat and back rest frame com prises a pair of horizontally disposed side rails 7-7 and substantially upright side members 8-8 which are connected together by a rounded top portion 9. The front end 10 of the side rails 7-7 which are spaced a distance apart corresponding to that of the side members 4-4 of the base, are curved downwardly to meet the curved ends 6-8 of the base as best shown in Fig. 1. The seat and back rest frame is made from thin sheet metal tubing 7 with a wooden dowel like filler 7 and in the extremities of the parts 10-10 are fixed plugs 11 which are pivotally connected as at 12 to similar plugs 13 in the extremities of the parts 6 of the base. By this construction, the combined seat and back rest frame is pivotally connected to the base. The side rails 7 of the frame 2 are connected together at their front and rear ends by cross bars 14 and 15 respectively.

Between the rear end of each side member 7-7 of the frame 2 and the associated side member 4 of the base 1, I provide a spring 16 which yieldingly supports the rear end of the frame 2 from the base 1. Preferably these springs are made from flat spring strip stock bent to form a pair of oppositely disposed spiral portions 16 and 16 respectively, the free end of the portion 16 being fixed to one side frame member 7 and the free end of the other portion 16 being fixed to the associated side frame member 4 of the base. Said springs support the rear end of the frame 2 from the associated part of the base 1 for a tetering action, the axis of which is provided by the pivots 12 before mentioned, and act to hold the rear end of the seat frame from lateral movement with respect to the base. In this respect it is pointed out that the rear end of the base extends rearwardly of the plane of the back rest so that tipping over rearwardly of the chair when occupied and tetered in the manner intended is prevented.

The seat and back rest frame is covered with a suitable material 17 which is preferably a woven stake and strand reed fabric. A metallic binder 18 is applied to the lateral margins of this fabric and these binders are disposed upon and are secured to the members 7 and 8 of the frame 2 as by the tacks or brads 19. The binders terminate Ill any suitable manner.

at the beginning of the rounded part 9 of the frame 2 and the top portion of the fabric is trimmed to fit upon said rounded part and upon which a metallic finishing strip 20 of arcuate cross section is applied. Tacks or brads 21 are employed to secure this finishing strip in place and said tacks or brads pass through the fabric and through the tubing "I into the filler 7* therein. This fabric is secured at its front end to the cross bar 14 in any suitable manner.

The arm rest frame which is also made of thin metallic tubing with a wooden dowel like filler comprises side members 22-22 and a rear cross member 23. The front end 24 of each side member 22 is bent downwardly to meet the portion 10 of the associated side member '1 of the seat frame and is tapered off to present an appreciable contact area therefor which is secured thereto in The side members 22 mentioned which provide the arm rests for the chair engage the outer side of each member 8 and are secured thereto in any suitable manner, the cross bar 23 being spaced rearwardly from said members 8 to provide a convenient hand hold for use in moving the chair from place to place.

The chair described is comfortable to occupy, is light in weight though strong and rigid and may be easily tetered in the same manner as that employed when seated in a rocking chair,

While in describing my invention, I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts thereof, the same is to be considered merely as illustrative so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:-

A freely movable chair comprising a frame formed of tube-like material, including a base having side members with upturned ends, and a main portion having side members bent to form a back rest and a seat portion, the side members of the main portion having downwardly turned front ends, the downwardly turned front ends of the main portion and the upwardly turned ends of the base portion terminating adjacent each other, hinge connections between the adjacent end portions, a pair of springs interposed between the side members of the base portion and the side members of the main portion, said springs being formed of flat spring strip stock having oppositely disposed spiral portions intermediate their ends, with the ends of the springs being bent in arcuate form to embrace the tube-like side members of the base and main portions, and means for securing the springs at their ends to the base and main portions.

LEWIS LARSEN. 

